Published: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 4:26 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 4:26 p.m.

VENICE - Venice will keep its fire department.

In a debate that some argue has as much to do with civic identity as it did cutting government expenses, Venice leaders decided Friday not to move forward with a study on whether to shut down the city-run fire department and turn services over to Sarasota County.

The decision, made at a budget workshop meeting, reflected a general consensus on the City Council for keeping the department and ends several months of speculation about the fate of the fire department.

During discussion, council members Emilio Carlesimo, Jim Bennett, Kit McKeon and David Sherman all voiced their support in keeping fire services in the hands of the city for the immediate future. Mayor John Holic and council member Bob Daniels supported the feasibility study, and council member Jeanette Gates was absent.

“If that’s the consensus of council ... then there’s really no sense in doing a study because we’re just spinning our wheels,” Holic said.

Carlesimo, a former Sarasota County Fire Department medic, said the current city-run fire department performed just as well as a county-managed one would. He said his decision was also shaped in part by a strong public opinion from his constituents.

“The City of Venice takes pride in being a full-service city,” he said. “I’m convinced that through the years the people who elected me, that it is their desire to maintain that full-service independent status.”

McKeon and Sherman said it would be disingenuous to consolidate the city’s fire service with the county when new three-and-a-half-year-long contracts for the fire department employees had just been ratified in July. The contract is set to begin Oct. 1 and run through Sept. 30, 2017.

Earlier this month, the city also reached an agreement with its police and fire departments to end city-run pensions for new workers. Under new contracts with police and firefighters, future workers will instead enroll in the state-run Florida Retirement System.

The change is expected to produce a significant cost savings for taxpayers.

“Next time they have a pension workshop in a few years, then do the feasibility study,” Sherman said. “Until then, this is off the table as far as I’m concerned.”

Fire Chief Jim Warman said he supported the council’s consensus. Leaving the newly negotiated contract the way it stood would help strengthen the city financially in the long term.

“On the heels of that (negotiation), I think it was the right decision to curb any discussions about changes to the fire department whether it’s through cuts, consolidations or other issues,” he said. “Give the time for the pension changes to work, and get through that three years, and then see what it looks like.”

But Daniels said the city was only preparing itself for disaster by not conducting a feasibility study. It was the city council’s duty to their constituents, he said, to compare both options side-by-side.

Daniels said consolidating would likely substantially cut down the city’s tax rate, but there was no way to tell how much money could be saved without a feasibility study.

“We could use some of that to start paying down the unfunded pension plan and to give people some tax relief,” he said. “The (pension) issue is not going to go away.”

Holic said he agreed that a feasibility study would have benefitted the city’s decision-making process.

“I thought it was a good idea,” he said. “I don’t formulate a final idea until I have all the facts on the table.”

<p><em>VENICE</em> - Venice will keep its fire department.</p><p>In a debate that some argue has as much to do with civic identity as it did cutting government expenses, Venice leaders decided Friday not to move forward with a study on whether to shut down the city-run fire department and turn services over to Sarasota County.</p><p>The decision, made at a budget workshop meeting, reflected a general consensus on the City Council for keeping the department and ends several months of speculation about the fate of the fire department.</p><p>During discussion, council members Emilio Carlesimo, Jim Bennett, Kit McKeon and David Sherman all voiced their support in keeping fire services in the hands of the city for the immediate future. Mayor John Holic and council member Bob Daniels supported the feasibility study, and council member Jeanette Gates was absent.</p><p>“If that's the consensus of council ... then there's really no sense in doing a study because we're just spinning our wheels,” Holic said.</p><p>Carlesimo, a former Sarasota County Fire Department medic, said the current city-run fire department performed just as well as a county-managed one would. He said his decision was also shaped in part by a strong public opinion from his constituents.</p><p>“The City of Venice takes pride in being a full-service city,” he said. “I'm convinced that through the years the people who elected me, that it is their desire to maintain that full-service independent status.”</p><p>McKeon and Sherman said it would be disingenuous to consolidate the city's fire service with the county when new three-and-a-half-year-long contracts for the fire department employees had just been ratified in July. The contract is set to begin Oct. 1 and run through Sept. 30, 2017.</p><p>Earlier this month, the city also reached an agreement with its police and fire departments to end city-run pensions for new workers. Under new contracts with police and firefighters, future workers will instead enroll in the state-run Florida Retirement System.</p><p>The change is expected to produce a significant cost savings for taxpayers.</p><p>“Next time they have a pension workshop in a few years, then do the feasibility study,” Sherman said. “Until then, this is off the table as far as I'm concerned.”</p><p>Fire Chief Jim Warman said he supported the council's consensus. Leaving the newly negotiated contract the way it stood would help strengthen the city financially in the long term.</p><p>“On the heels of that (negotiation), I think it was the right decision to curb any discussions about changes to the fire department whether it's through cuts, consolidations or other issues,” he said. “Give the time for the pension changes to work, and get through that three years, and then see what it looks like.” </p><p>But Daniels said the city was only preparing itself for disaster by not conducting a feasibility study. It was the city council's duty to their constituents, he said, to compare both options side-by-side. </p><p>Daniels said consolidating would likely substantially cut down the city's tax rate, but there was no way to tell how much money could be saved without a feasibility study.</p><p>“We could use some of that to start paying down the unfunded pension plan and to give people some tax relief,” he said. “The (pension) issue is not going to go away.”</p><p>Holic said he agreed that a feasibility study would have benefitted the city's decision-making process.</p><p>“I thought it was a good idea,” he said. “I don't formulate a final idea until I have all the facts on the table.”</p>